Confirmation is a sacramental outpouring of the Holy Spirit that leaves a permanent imprint on the soul, completes Christian initiation, and empowers us to be witnesses to Christ (see CCC 1302–1305).

 

Many people mistakenly view Confirmation as “graduation” from religious education, merely a cultural passage into maturity or an opportunity to choose whether or not to remain Catholic. Yes, a candidate does choose whether to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and does, upon reception of the sacrament, step toward maturity (and yes, mandatory classes often do come to an end), but none of these facts captures the heart of Confirmation.

​

Like all sacraments, Confirmation does more than symbolize a spiritual reality; the sacraments actually bring forth the spiritual realities they represent. Confirmation engages our senses: We see the bishop’s hand raised in anointing. The candidate feels and smells the sacred chrism (sacramental oil) and hears the bishop proclaim, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

 

What we physically see, hear, feel, and smell in Confirmation is an anointing , a sealing with the Holy Spirit. These visible elements are not merely symbolic: working through what is visible and sensory, the same Holy Spirit who was poured out upon the apostles at Pentecost now seals the newly confirmed soul.

 

When the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles as they prayed together at Pentecost (see Acts 2:1-13), the effects appeared immediately. The apostles proclaimed their faith fearlessly. The sacramental presence of the Holy Spirit in their souls emboldened them to speak the truth.